


Candlelight Dinner

by Opium_du_Peuple



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Cooking Lessons, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, So Fluffly Tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2018-02-08 09:34:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1935879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opium_du_Peuple/pseuds/Opium_du_Peuple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Yeah I did but it turns out PDS sufferers suck at cooking..."</p><p>"Not all PDS sufferers."</p><p>When Kieren invites Simon over for a romantic dinner, his terrible culinary talents get in the way. Luckily, Simon knows a thing or two about cooking and is willing to teach him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Candlelight Dinner

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually the result of me procrastinating to write my main Hannibal fic'.  
> In the Flesh is suuuuuuch a good show and it needed more fics. I just like the idea of Kieren and Simon cooking together even though they don't eat. I guess it's the Hannibal influence...  
> Anyway enjoy, tell me if you see any mistakes, kudos and comments are always highly appreciated!

I'm such an idiot, Kieren thought, staring at the pasta box he was holding. What was I thinking? 

Dinner. He had invited Simon over for dinner, just the two of them around the table, a candlelight dinner kind of thing. If he had thought it was a good idea at the time, the prospect seemed now preposterous. Not only neither of them could digest solids but Kieren's culinary knowledge was quite limited. His living self had mastered in the art of grilled cheese making and pretty much nothing else. 

A quick look around the kitchen made him regret to have decline his mother's help. She was no chef but she at least knew how to use the different settings of the oven. Left to his own devices, Kieren was feeling like a fish out of water. He could always pick up the phone and get a takeaway but sitting in front of steaming, greasy fish and chips wrapped in local newspapers wasn't quite as romantic as he'd hoped. 

The young man gave out a long sigh and put the pasta box down. His now free hand reached for the phone and he dialed Simon's number. After a few seconds of waiting, his soon-to-be guest picked up. 

"Kieren?" 

"Yeah. Look, can you come over right now?" 

"I thought you said 6 p.m." 

Kieren tried as well as he could to hide the embarrassment in his voice. 

"Yeah I did but it turns out PDS sufferers suck at cooking..." 

"Not all PDS sufferers." 

** 

The doorbell startled him. Kieren knew Simon was heading to his house but he didn't expect him to get there so soon. He rushed towards the door and opened it to find the familiar dark hair and wan skin he liked so much. It was a bit cheesy but if Kieren's heart was still beating inside his chest, it would be pounding by now, he was sure of it. And as their lips met in a quick kiss, Kieren could only bless his non-existent vascular system to prevent him from blushing. 

Guided to the living room, Simon looked around, expecting the sofa to be occupied by Jem or Sue. Not a sole beating heart was to be heard at the Walkers'. 

"Where's everybody?" 

"Gone to my aunt's. My mother wanted to give us some... intimacy." 

Simon gave the hint of a smug smile, visibly amused. Until then, their "intimacy" had been squeezed into Amy's bungalow, restricted to its cramped rooms and confining atmosphere. Not that either of them would complain, but having a whole house at their disposal was quite a luxury.  
The older man (even though age appeared as a meaningless notion since the rising) gently put his hands on Kieren's shoulders, tenderly stroking his shoulder blades. The latter's back muscles relaxed at the touch. 

"What's the kitchen matter then?" Simon muttered with a little coy smile 

Kieren sighed, not exactly keen on bringing up the subject. 

"Nothing. Doesn't matter anyway, right? Eating isn't our top one priority." 

"And what's our top one priority?" 

Simon's sly tone made his host shiver slightly. He couldn't function around him acting like this. It reminded him of the first "meal" they had shared together in this very house, with his family. The echo of Simon's voice saying "I like the way he gives back" was stuck in a corner of his brain, etched on his memory.  
Simon's hands left his shoulders and the guest of honour took a few steps towards the dining table and the door leading to the kitchen. 

"Where are you going?" 

"Get your arse in the kitchen, Kieren Walker. I'm going to make a decent chef out of you." 

** 

"This is flipping _ridiculous_." 

Behind his back, Kieren heard Simon shushing him as the latter was tying his apron, carefully making sure his undead boyfriend wouldn't feel too tight in it. The slight touch against his spine, the sound of the fabric, everything seemed so surreal. His living self had often daydream about these intimate moments and details, even though they involved Rick at the time. How weird was is that his afterlife was feeling more fulfilling than his actual life?  
Simon smoothed the fabric of his own apron, ready to get to it. 

"Let's see what we have there." 

He went straight to the cupboards, removing several items he deemed necessary while Kieren's eyes were following his movements. He'd been right before : not all PDS sufferers sucked at cooking. Simon wasn't nearly as uncomfortable in a kitchen as he was. He pulled out some eggs, mushrooms, butter and whatnot from the fridge and laid them onto the work surface. 

"Are you hungry?" Simon asked, enjoying himself. 

"Starving!" Kieren laughed. 

"We'll start with something simple. Here..." 

He placed an egg in his host's hand. 

"Crack those into a bowl. The first rule to a good omelette is : no egg shell." 

So... Omelette then. Kieren nodded and pulled a big glass bowl out of a cupboard, trying his best to abide by the one and only rule he'd been given. In the meantime, Simon put a knob of butter into a large pan. For a moment, the sizzling of the melting butter was the only sound to be heard. 

"Did you like it when you were living? Cooking, I mean." 

"Yeah. I used to cook with my mother when I was a kid. I loved watching her in the kitchen. She was a bloody artist." 

Kieren suspended his movement, his hand half-way to the bowl. Simon had told him what had happened to his mother. Every PDS sufferer had done some nasty shit during the rising but Simon's lot was heavier than others'. He bit his lips. 

"Sorry for asking." 

Behind him, Simon left the melting butter and put his hands on Kieren's hips. 

"Nothing to be sorry about, Kier'. I'm going to whisk this, can you chop the mushrooms, love?" 

Love. The first time Simon had called him that, he had felt a bit taken aback. Not that he wasn't feeling the same way but "Love" was what his parents called one another. But with each "Love" passing, he had found himself growing a soft spot for the name. 

Kieren took a knife, placing all the mushrooms on the chopping board. He had no clue what "chopping" actually meant so he ran his knife through the vegetables. Simon's scrupulous eyes weren't far, supervising the operations. 

"I remember saying "chopping" not "butchering"." the latter laughed. 

Taking Kieren's hands in his, he started guiding his sous-chef, gently demonstrating the appropriate technique. The kitchen was filled with a delectable aura of comfort. Even the shy sun of England peeked through the window, lighting up the whole room with a soothing glow.  
Once every ingredient was prepared, Simon tossed them in the buttery pan and handed a wooden spatula to his partner. 

"Now make sure it doesn't burn." 

The task seemed easy enough. But as the eggy mixture was starting to stick to the pan, Kieren found himself scraping some burning areas off. 

"Shit, what do I do?!" 

"Go with your guts." 

"What kind of advice is that?!" 

** 

Both Kieren and Simon stared at the single plate they had managed to put together. Somewhat burnt, somewhat raw, it looked edible nonetheless. 

"So... What shall we call that? Scrambled eggs?" 

"Think of it as contemporary art... "Reflection on food" by Kieren Walker". " Simon answered. 

"Piss off." 

Simon wrapped his arms around Kieren's waist, trying not to laugh at his boyfriend's failure. At least he had not put the house on fire. 

"Next time, I'll be the one inviting you over for dinner, ok?"


End file.
